I quit playing EQ a while ago, and this is the first time I have come back to this site since I quit, and it still inpires me to chortle. To deny that Sony Online Ent. has all but abanodoned the players of EQ to further other exploits is at best naive. They will keep throwing expansions at the EQ clientell until it's not fruitful anymore, and then most likey abandon EQ all together. Their marketing history and patterns is pretty much public domain, and you can see the proof of their ignorance found therein.
SOE is just like any other business that is seeing loss. They are allocating their money to areas that will prove to be efficient in maintaining a reasonable profit margin. For SOE to "fix" all the problems that have festered in the game, along with all the new problems that arise, would be a seriously pricey undertaking. And seeing that SOE is just a branch of Sony, the tech industry juggernaut and the source of SOE's funding, it's unlikely they will be able to ever justify that sort of expense to the higher powers who don't give two looks at SOE in any light other than profit vs. expense.
So what does all this mean? It means that in order for SOE to continue to operate, they need to continue to turn a profit that is comparable to their market history, and to attempt to fix all the programming bugs would not do that. Expansions are the equivalent to quick cash that turns into profit that can be reported to the higher boss.
With that in mind, it seems almost fruitless to voice complaints. However, it is the responsibility of the consumer to do just that. If he/she doesn't, then the company will lose sight (even more?) of their consumer and the product will drop in demand, with the potential of being taken from the shelf. If you don't want to play, it's still important to voice displeasure so as to improve the product to a point where it might become desirable again. To criticize people for voicing complaints is absolutely ludircous. That is ignorant and foolish, and is completely anti-productive for both the company and the consumer.
As has been stated in this thread as well as in others, this website is the most frequently visited sight in relation to EQ outside the official site of SOE. If you want your voice to be heard, you use it where it will be heard. Keep voicing your displeasure. It may or may not pay off, but you do yourself and all that play this game a disservice if you don't.
Edited, Sun Jun 26 21:24:40 2005
The Depths of Darkhollow: It's Official
Sony has made it official: The 10th EverQuest expansion, Depths of Darkhollow, is set to be released in September of 2005. Details can be found on the newly opened official Depths of Darkhollow website.
The official plug:
On the surface, as the battle between Firionia Vie and Lanys T’Vyl continues to rage throughout the lands of Nektulos, an expedition of Qeynosian miners breached the barrier of Darkhollow. Only then was the first werewolf seen and the first human bitten. Now a new evil begins to emerge from the underground; far beneath the surface of Norrath. Join EverQuest: Depths of Darkhollow and journey into a world of immorality and devastation, a world that has existed purely as a vast wilderness filled with intelligent predators, destruction and disease. Go forth with courage as the terror that lies deep within these grounds must not be allowed to spread to the surface – to Norrath.
EverQuest: Depths of Darkhollow will have you adventuring in raw, bleak caverns and facing the most formidable monsters yet! Featuring 5 new feral predators, spectacular new underground environments and countless new missions, raids and events!
Monster Missions: Play EverQuest as you never have before and see Norrath through the eyes of some of its fearsome and powerful creatures as you step into their form to do battle against their ancient foes! Change into a creature with different abilities from your own to experience. Experience EverQuest lore first hand through the eyes of another character in Monster Missions and unlock the ability to use more powerful monsters!
Spirit Shrouds: Adventure with your friends of any levels. Spirit Shrouds will allow you to play as a creature at any level below your own. So don the form of a lower level creature and join your friends in battle while earning experience for your normal character!
Evolving Items: Earn new items that advance as you use them, becoming more powerful over time and unlocking hidden abilities and wield intelligent items with a personality of their own!
New Missions: Battle your way through over 60 new missions.
New Creatures, New Environments and New Encounters: Over 30 unique creatures and 7 Zones, 15 Small Instances, with a re-envisioned Nektulos Forest.
New Crafting, Spells, Items and More: New items and tradeskill recipes! Also new spells and alternate advancement abilities!